


clocks

by AgenderCombeferre



Series: summer drabbles [4]
Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Anxiety, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 04:12:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7419304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgenderCombeferre/pseuds/AgenderCombeferre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reyna is having trouble adjusting to life after a quest, and finds help in unexpected places</p>
            </blockquote>





	clocks

 

There was a clock in Reyna’s room.

            It wasn’t new, far from it, actually. It had been hanging in the praetor’s quarters long before she had even been elected. Her predecessors had ignored it, leaving it out of sight in the windowsill beside the bed. Reyna had been waking up at the same time for so long she no longer even needed an alarm at all, but the clock was not a bother.

            As the years went on, especially in those months in which she carried the burden of both praetors on her shoulders, Reyna found the ticking of seconds away to be a comfort and found herself replacing the batteries when they had run out of power. The clock grounded her, reminding her that even though there was so much to do, the seconds were still ticking by as normal.

            When Reyna returned from the quest and the last night recuperating at Camp Half Blood passed, she entered the praetor’s quarters alone, her room feeling like a hotel from the absence of life. In the back of her mind she registered the sounds of Frank settling into the praetor’s quarters across the hall from her own room. She would have to get used to the constant presence of another praetor, she mused as she took in the light dust across her desk, the tight sheets around the mattress (how long had it been since she had slept in an actual bed?) and the clock, ticking on as though she had never left.

            Looking at the bare walls, save pictures of New Rome, post-it reminders that had long since fluttered to the ground, Reyna considered Annabeth and all of her interest in architecture, how she would love the university’s programmes.

            Eventually, the work of constant communication between the two camps, rebuilding Camp Half-Blood, and general praetor duties got to be too time consuming to allow Reyna to fret upon her bare walls. The constant ticking of the clock filled the cracks between her thoughts once more.

            The transition from quest sleep cycles back to normal was more difficult than Reyna had remembered. Reyna found herself counting the seconds late at night in an almost anxious way. Constantly aware of how much time was passing highlighting her failed attempts at sleep.

            One morning, at exactly 4:27, Reyna had swung a hand at the clock in an effort to silence it. Her swing was stronger than she had meant it to be, and the frail, old alarm didn’t stand a chance. The clock flew into the far side wall, shattering against the purple paint.

            Reyna was still, not sure how to react, or if she should at all. She had destroyed a piece of the praetors’ history.

            There had to be some sort of symbolism there.

.....

            “Bad dream?”

           Why was Thalia IM’ing Reyna?

            Reyna didn’t mind the hunter’s presence per se, but she was sure the leader of Artemis’s hunters had to have more important things to do than Iris message Reyna at strange hours of the day. What time was it wherever Thalia was? She must have forgotten about time zones, or Reyna hopes is the reason Thalia is IM’ing her at no-thank-you o’clock.

            “I’m a bit busy.” She said instead, thinking this a safer route of discussion than her or Thalia’s day plans. Perhaps it would even remind Thalia how busy she must also be.

            “Sheesh, I get it. But see, with me,” Thalia brought a gesturing hand to her chest. “when I find myself as busy as I’m sure you are, I reach out. You know, to your friends?”

            “We are friends?” Reyna chose to ask, as though she didn’t know that Thalia was referring to Annabeth’s constant IM’s asking her to come to Camp Half-Blood. Thalia didn’t correct her, but for a split second she looked struck, as though Reyna’s need to ask hurt her. Then the moment was over, and that crooked grin was back on her face and Reyna amends that she must have imagined it.

            “I am wounded!” Thalia exclaimed, the hand on her chest tightening around her shirt. “We have such fond memories together!”

            “Fond memories including us fighting or you ‘kidnapping’ me.” Reyna used air quotes around the word ‘kidnapping’. Truly, her time with the hunters had been an experience.

            “As I recall, most of that fighting was fighting together.” Thalia countered, her chin lifting in slight challenge.

            “True.” Reyna mused, feigning actual thought on the subject.. “Though, I wonder, how this friendship is to last when you IM me at this hour?”

            Thalia’s laugh was rough, probably of years of being with the Hunters and a loss of interest of what other demigods thought before then. Reyna loved that laugh, though she would probably never tell Thalia. Some words were for the inside of one’s own mind alone.

            “Yet you were wide awake to take my call.” Thalia countered. Before Reyna could argue further. She continued. “Actually, this IM _does_ regrettably come with a reason. Artemis wants to train some of the new recruits individually for the weekend, and I wanted to ask if New Rome would pardon our intrusion? Just because we’re in the neighbourhood?”

            “From what I remember, the Hunters are a traveling group, no? Do you not set up camp well enough?” Thalia made a face that included sticking out her tounge, naturally, before responding.

            “Don’t worry about camp. We just wanted to stop by, say hello. Though, if we’re unwelcome, we’ll stya clear.” 

            “Of course you are welcome. We are freinds, after all.”

            Thalia actually had the nerve to look surprised at getting what she had asked for before breaking into a smile. Reyna also loved her smile, but was still able to be annoyed with it.

            “Thank you very much! We’ll be around at noon of Friday. Be sure to get your eight hours of sleep, my dear praetor.” Thalia winked, and no, Reyna did _not_ blush.

            “The same could be said for you, leader of the Hunt.”

            Thalia laughed before waving a hand in farewell, swiping it through the IM. Reyna was still at her desk for a moment, Thalia’s smiling face fading from the spray in front of her.

            _Oh, gods,_ she thought.

            _What did I just agree to?_

….

            Though the Hunters weren’t expected until Friday, the IM it had been confirmed in happening the morning of Wednesday, Reyna could think of little else in the days sepperating Thalia’s call and her arrival. She had informed Frank and the citizens of New Rome on Wednesday at a time one was actually supposed to be awake, and preperations had begun such as setting a space aside for the Hunters to make camp, the men of New Rome being briefed on the relationship, or lack of, befween Hunters and men, and deciding what cohorts would be on which side of the war games.

            Reyna, of course, made her own preperations. Though she knew Thalia wouldn’t see it again, she swept away the pieces of the broken clock, and did what she could not to count the moments until Friday.

            When the time came and the Hunters arrived through the tunnel there was no explosion, no long speech prepared. Jsut a simple greeting from the citizens who had been interested, even a few women seeking more information on how to be recruited.

            Thalia had walked right up to Reyna and slung an arm around her shoulders like she did it all the time. Reyna hadn’t minded per se, but there was the air of _we’re probably not supposed to do this, but we don’t really care._

Most of the Hunters had gone to set up their camp, which took only minutes of course, but as Thalia told it this was their ruitine, arrive and spread into the new environment slowly as to get used to it. Reyna didn’t see any trouble with this, nor with Thalia requesting a walk around the city with Reyna herself. Reyna had anticipated this and set aside time earlier in the morning to finish all of her duties for the day.

            She showed the Hunter all around the city, laughing at [t]’s comment on how Thalia’s hair was perfectly within regulations, unlike the other Greeks who had visited their city. She took Thalia alone the temples, watching the Hunter’s face light up at the view. She almost lost track of time until it was time for roll, but she’d set a watch in her pocket an alarm. She needed the alarm, but couldn’t handle wearing a watch on her wrist and counting the seconds before Thalia arrived and when she left.

            Roll and dinner flew by Reyna, lost in Thalia’s stories and her delight at the flying food. She seemed more delighted when someone would stand up too soon and get food in their face, but that couldn’t be helped.

            Finally it was time fot the war games. Reyna, being a praetor, was above with Frank on a pegusus each. (Thalia had asked why Frank didn’t simply turn into a pegusus himself, to which Frank responded by asking Thalia why she didn’t fly everywhere. That didn’t seem to answer the question, but got Thalia to go to rally thr Hunters and cohorts on her team). Reyna saw the Hunters, using blunt arrows and clean fighting, take over Roman soldiers and be beaten in responce. It was all normal for war games, good honest fighting, but she was not surprised when Thalia’s team won. The hype of playing war gamed _and_ playing with the Hunters was powerful, and Thalia had a flag in her hand by the end of it.

            “Are we given a prize?” she asked Reyna as the two walked back together, sepperate from the other citizens, on their way to bunks and tents to their own. She’d gotten cut up pretty good, a slash on the arm that hadn’t been deep enough to convince Thalia to accept the help of an eagle attempting to carry her away from the games, a scratch in her cheek, and scraped knees from dropping dramatically to her knees when the flag had been won.

            “Of course.” Reyna replied, bringing her around the praetor’s quarters for a bit of nectar for the injuries. She instructed Thalia to close her eyes as she put the nectar in a glass, hands extended for her prize. When she turned back to Thalia to hand her the glass, eyes closed and an easy smile on her face, Reyna couldn’t help but press a kiss onto her unscratched cheek at the same time she pressed the glass into Thalia’s outstreched hands.

            “Best prize ever.” Thalia said, opening her eyes and drinking the nectar easily. She didn’t have the quirky smile she usually did when joking, and Reyna noticed a tint of red in he ears. Feeling the heat in her own face Reyna turned her back to Thalia once more, gethering the container for the nectar and attempting to put the lid back on with hands that may or may not be shaking.

            She heard the stound of Thalia’s boots on her wood floors, the set of an empty glass against the floor before she saw Thalia’s hands take the bottle from her own, easily twisting the lid into place and setting it back into it’s place.

            “Thanks.” Reyna managed an unshaky voice, but coulldn’t meet Thalia’s eyes, suddenly very interested in her hands.

            The hands that Thalia took into her own, causing her to look up and their eyes to meet.

            “If I may,” Thalia began slowly, thumb rubbing Reyna’s hands (her heart wasn’t racing because of that, it wasn’t, it _wasn’t_ ). “I’d like to thank you. Both for the nectar and the - “

            “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have - “ Reyna thought she knew a letting one down easy speech by heart, but apparently sometihng had been different, because Thalia wasn’t talking anymore. She was gripping Reyna’s hands tighter, then pressing her lips to Reyna’s.

            For a moment, Reyna was so shocked she was completely still. She felt Thalia move away, sure that Thalia thought she was rejecting her or something, and in a rush to get across that that wasn’t the case, Reyna turned her hands in Thalia’s grasp so that they were properly threaded together and pressed the kiss deeper, smiling at Thalia’s hum of surprise.

            When they broke apart they were both smiling, not speaking but not needing to, Reyna felt the steady weight of Thalia’s hands in her own, the press of Thalia’s forehead against her own, and the rush of blood in her ears. She felt her own heartbeat in her chest, ticking along, but when Thalia leaned in to kiss her again, she found herself at ease. There was nothing left to count.

 

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: This work is entirely fictional, a work of fanfiction and is in no way a representation of Rick Riordan or anyone who represents him/his publisher/the future of the series/anything legal. Rick Riordan does not, as well as anyone else in any way a part of the creation of actual Heroes of Olympus works, recognise of this work as an official representation of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus series.


End file.
